Mending Inside
by Ghost501
Summary: Even after the war, Gaea is still invading Annabeth's dreams. Will Percy be able to save her before she goes off the deep end? *Sequal to Breaking Inside


Annabeth woke up with a cold start. This should have been over. She shouldn't be having these dreams. Why was Gaea still talking with her?! She could feel cold hands on her shoulders and screamed. This was too much. She had simply written off her dreams as simple nightmares. Then she thought the gods were trying to warn her of an upcoming threat—one that she was not willing to take. Now, she knew someone was toying with her. There was no way she could have the same dream over and over again.

Annabeth saw Malcolm running to her trying to ask what was wrong; but for some reason, she couldn't understand him. His mouth was moving but no words were coming out of it. Oh no. Was she going deaf? She seized Malcolm's shoulders and shook him trying to make words come out of his mouth. This wasn't happening. How could this be happening? They had closed the Doors of Death. They had defeated Gaea. She shouldn't be hearing Gaea. She shouldn't be having nightmares about her. She shouldn't be going deaf. What the heck was happening to her?!

She pushed past Malcolm and ran hysterical to the woods. That would do it. A run through the woods would clear her mind. She would be able to think and hear again if she could just clear her head. After the war, as a way of bringing both camps together, she had been called on again to improve some of the architecture in both camps. With Percy just now return back to sanity, she had finally gotten the time and focus needed to draw her designs. Unfortunately, this also meant that she had been stressing out about designs for the past couple weeks.

* * *

Within minutes, she was much farther in the forest than she had actually planned to be. She looked up and frowned at the midnight sky. What had she been thinking? She had just run blindly into the woods with no weapon and no recollection of the path she had taken. She began to look around. Maybe she had left a trail of broken branches or something in her blind run. But she had no luck deciphering her path in the middle of the night.

Annabeth froze as a faint growl came from behind her. She turned behind her, but could see nothing in the dark.

_'Just great. I'm freaking out in the middle of the woods with no weapon and something that more than likely wants to have a demigod flavored meal tonight is here with me. Yay.' _She thought as she tried to back up into the woods. But then she realized that no matter what course of action she took, she would be out maneuvered by whatever the creature was. She froze as she felt hot breath behind hear. The creature sniffed her and then licked her?

_'Okay, I'll bite. The heck?'_ Annabeth turned her face just in time to see Ms. O'Leary's big face before the hellhound licked her again. The hellhound barked a couple time before going back to lick the unfortunate blonde's face.

"It's good to see you too Ms. O'Leary." She said disgustedly. She was going to have to wash her face as soon as she got back to camp.

Wait, if Ms. O'Leary was here that would mean that…

"There you are. What are you crazy running out here in the middle of the night?" Percy said coming out from the trees. He ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

_'I guess I scared him. But I guess I scared myself too.'_ She thought as she embraced him back.

"Annabeth, are you okay?" His sea green eyes showed all the concern in the world for how. How in the world did she get so lucky to end up with him again?

"No, I'm not. It's Gaea. She's talking to me in my dreams again."

"Gaea? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. No one else talks like her. No one else manipulates my dreams like her. Oh Percy, they're terrible." Annabeth felt herself beginning to tear up. She hated looking like this. She was stronger than this.

"Ssh. It's okay. I'm here, it's okay. Hey, it's okay to cry. No one else is here but me, you, and Ms. O'Leary. You don't have to be that strong around me. You know that right."

"Percy…" Annabeth couldn't hold back her tears. The stress was so much for her. She had to make sure that her designs were perfect. If someone had a complaint then they might start a war over pride—people have killed over less. She had to make sure to keep an eye on Percy. Even though he appeared to be over his depression, he still had his off days. And now her nightmares were not only back, but Gaea was taunting her. She stayed in Percy's arms for several minutes before finally stopping her tears.

"Thank you. You're too nice for your own good you know."

"People have told me that, but I don't see a problem with it." He stared at her with those green eyes of his, "Tomorrow, we'll go to Chiron about your nightmares."

"But you're teaching classes all day tomorrow."

"They can get Clarisse to teach the kids how to fight. I need to be there with you."

Annabeth almost felt like crying again. Where had he learned to be so nice to people without even caring about his own being? She leaned in to kiss him when he suddenly pulled away from her.

"Sorry, I would love too, but you're currently covered in dog slobber."

"You know what I said about you being too nice, I take it back."

"Ouch, Annabeth Chase, You hurt me. Come on." He extended his hand out to her, "Let's head back to camp before the harpys get us."

She took and walked up close to him before giving him a peck on his check. Seeing his disgusted face as she pulled away was priceless.

* * *

"To be honest Annabeth, I don't think that it has anything to do with Gaea." Chiron said.

"With all due respect, I know what I dreamt Chiron." Annabeth replied.

"I'm not denying the validity that Gaea was talking in your dreams, I'm denying the validity that Gaea was _speaking_ in your dreams."

"Okay, I am now confused." Percy stated.

"You see, I think that Annabeth is merely imagining Gaea's mind in her head."

"No, I can't be. Why would I be putting her in my head?!"

"Subconsciously child. What does Gaea tell you in your dreams?"

"She tells me that she," she took a breath, "that she is going to kill Percy."

"What does she show you?"

"She shows me how she plans to kill him. Multiple scenarios. I…I don't want to talk about them." She felt Percy's hand wrap around hers. She looked back at him gratefully.

"Wasn't it just two weeks ago that Percy had suffered severe depression and almost committed suicide?"

"Yeah, but I'm better now." Percy said.

"Yes, but is your partner better now? You both went through Tarturus together. However, you were more invested in the Nico's death. However, what was Annabeth invested in? As I understand it, you fell in with a broken ankle and no way to defend yourself, am I right?"

"Yes, we found my knife later on. But for the most part yes. My ankle eventually healed. We were lucky that we had gotten the splint right the first time."

Chiron nodded, "But while you were defenseless, what did Gaea show you?"

Annabeth looked down in her lap and then back at Percy. What happened next scared her. She couldn't remember what the Earth goddess had said. She brought her hands up to her temple but she just couldn't bring herself to remember. "I don't know. I can't remember."

"Your mind has repressed those memories but it's probably just now beginning to reveal those memories now. The brain is a very complex computer. When it can't handle information it either shuts down or represses the material. Something tells me that Gaea isn't talking to you child. You're just remembering the events in Tarturus."

Annabeth turned her gaze from Percy to Chiron. "Then, I'm not hearing Gaea."

"No, you are not child. You all did well to lull her back to sleep. Now, you should return to you cabin and rest. You've had a rough night."

He dismissed the two teenagers and they walked off back to Annabeth's cabin.

* * *

"Well that's at least one mystery solved." Percy said.

Annabeth remained silent. She couldn't believe it. These memories were so powerful. How in the world was she going to deal with these memories? Especially if she needed her sleep in order to finish these designs. As she contemplated this, she felt Percy grab her hand.

"Hey, you know I'm always going to be here for you right?"

Annabeth just stared into his eyes.

"Come on." He pulled her towards his cabin.

"Percy we're not allowed to…"

"And this won't be to first nor the last we've broken that rule."

She allowed him to pull her inside his cabin. He wrapped her in a tight hug and pulled them both down on his bed.

"Percy, now where really pushing this."

"That's why I brought you to my cabin. Less of a chance of anyone just walking in here and seeing us."

"When did you get so smart?"

"When you were looking. Now go ahead and go to sleep and if you have any nightmares, I'll be right here."

"Thank you." She said softly as she felt coming to take her.

"Hey, that what love is all about is it? Helping your special one when they're in trouble." She felt a soft kiss placed on her forehead and soon she was out like and light.

* * *

When she woke up, it was morning of the next day. She looked around to realize that she was tucked in her own bed. As she got up, a note fell off her bed. She smiled as read it.

_ Hope you slept well. I brought you back to your cabin during dinner so I don't think anyone saw us. But still something to keep in mind. Hope you had a good sleep and remember if you ever need me, I'm just a few cabins over._

_-Love, Percy_


End file.
